Columbo: A Trace of Murder (1997) (TV)

Director:

Vincent McEveety

Writers:

Charles Kipps (written by)
Richard Levinson (creator)

Release Date:

15 May 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Mystery | Drama

Plot:

A millionaire's being threatened with a lawsuit by a man he did business with. And at the same time his mercenary of a wife has been having an affair...

Plot Keywords:

Adultery | Columbo | Crime Investigation | Crime Solving | Detective

Cast

Peter Falk	...	Lt. Columbo
David Rasche	...	Patrick Kinsley
Shera Danese	...	Cathleen Calvert
Barry Corbin	...	Clifford Calvert
Raye Birk	...	Howard Seltzer
Will Nye	...	Officer Will
John Finnegan	...	Barney
Franklin Cover	...	Harry Jenkins
Alice Backes	...	Harriet Jenkins
Dion Anderson	...	Stuart March
Donna Bullock	...	Tracy Rose
John F. O'Donohue	...	Doherty
Dyana Ortelli	...	Colenari
Kymberly Newberry	...	District Attorney (as Kymberly S. Newberry)
Maury Sterling	...	Store Clerk

Runtime:

USA:120 min (including commercials)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Universal TV

Goofs:

Continuity: When Cathleen is talking about the murder to Patrick, he takes a black Swiss Army knife to open a bottle. In the next picture when he has the bottle opener screwing into the cork the knife is red.

Quotes:

Lt. Columbo: Three eyes see more than one.

Movie Connections:

Follows Columbo: Double Exposure (1973) (TV)

Quarter of a Century

Twenty-five years is a long time and it shows. It's sad to see Falk so much older than in the original series. And his performance is slower too, his movements exaggerated, less subtle, leaving less to the audience. If, when a thought occurred to him in the 70s, he might pause for a moment. Here, he goes into the men's room of Barney's Beanery and spends several minutes reenacting the observation that prompted the thought. Everything about the renovated series is heavier than before and less humorous. His car is absent from this one and so, thank God, is the dog. (Dogs are always dangerous.) The guest stars are as good as they always were but lacking the early Colombo's magnetism and charm they don't count for much.

The plot, such as it is, owes a good deal to "Double Indemnity." The villainous pair of lovers kill someone and try to frame the lady's husband, Barry Corbin in a nice vulgar role. Falk's chief adversary here is a blond, somewhat effete criminalist who, despite his expertise, makes the usual clumsy mistakes. He's pretty good, though, in a reptilian superior way.

But, all in all, a quarter of a century is a long time. He should have stayed retired.